1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to an absorbent garment useful for infants, children and adults. More particularly, this invention relates to a diaper useful as a potty training device for male children and/or as an incontinent device for male adults.
2. Background of the Invention.
It is known to provide disposable diapers for infants having construction with varying thicknesses of disposable material generally made in a rectangular form for positioning on the infant's body. It is also known to provide disposable material made in a generally rectangular form for positioning on the body of an adult who has an incontinency problem which requires the use of an absorbent garment.
Presently, diapers comprise an absorbent pad, usually formed of layers of material, having a tab on each side of one end of the diaper which is adapted to securely attach to the other end thereof when it has been wrapped around a child. These diapers also usually include an absorbent inner layer and an outer layer of nonabsorbent plastic material. Most of these types of diapers are intended to be thrown away after each use and are not intended for repeated removal and replacement on the child. When a child is of an age when he is undergoing potty training, the continued necessity of removing and thus destroying clean diapers in order to allow the child to be trained in using the toilet, causes significant problems. First, many times a new diaper must be placed on the child after each use of the toilet causing significant expense in unsoiled discarded diapers. Second, a male child that is at the age of potty training is generally incapable of removing and refreshing a diaper by himself. The child must therefore awaken his parents at night in order to urinate in the toilet, since their help is required for removing and replacing the diaper. Third, in the case of both male children and incontinent male adults, present diaper constructions do not allow for urination in standing urinals as are commonly used in public restroom facilities. For example, instead of being able to urinate through the fly or opening in a pair of pants, the entire pant and diaper must be removed to allow for urination. This requirement can cause extreme embarrassment to the user when in a public facility.
Therefore, a need exists for a diaper which can be securely attached to a user's legs and waist, yet can be quickly and easily opened at the front to allow the male user to urinate therethrough in the common manner. Such a diaper must also be able to remain securely attached to the user while the opening is being used, and the opening must be completely and easily reclosable and resealable against leakage.
A modified form of a disposable diaper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,680 to LaFleur in which a disposable diaper usable for either males or females comprises an opening device having a string, or loop and hook fastening members, which allow the garment to be torn away from or otherwise completely unwrapped from the child's legs without manipulation of the child's body through the waist and/or leg openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,887, to Sivilich discloses a male incontinent shield which must be attached to the user's undergarments and which has a slit placed in the central portion thereof, the slit allowing the male user to leave the shield in place in the undergarment while urinating therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,695 to Cooper discloses a training pant with a water absorbable material therein, the pant having the shape of an ordinary pair of briefs and being detachable from the body by means of loop and hook fasteners located between the waist and leg openings.
None of the above prior art devices provides a male user with the ability to easily open the front of a diaper from the center of the front waist portion thereof, down to the center of the crotch portion, to allow for easy urination through the front of the diaper (and the fly of a pair of pants) and then to quickly and easily reseal the opening, all while having the diaper remain securely fastened around the legs and securely held in place such that readjustment or replacement is not required, and such that an undergarment or the like is not required.